Background
Sexual and reproductive health services are either absent or insufficient in most South Sudanese health facilities. The situation is especially severe for adolescents, whose sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are often overlooked because of the frequent assumption that they are not sexually active. This leaves many young people with an unmet need for both SRHR services as well as the knowledge and skills needed to make informed sexual and contraceptive decisions.

About the project
This project was created to improve young people’s access to SRHR services, with the long-term goal of reducing STI rates, HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The project targeted 2000 adolescent pupils (aged 11-16) in four selected primary schools in Juba County. The project team worked with the schools over a period of six months, by training peer educators, conducting awareness-raising activities and referring adolescents to a youth friendly health centre to access contraceptives and SRHR services. In addition to this, SRHR clubs were established in each of the targeted schools, where the pupils were trained in leadership skills, peer-to-peer interaction and prevention of sexual abuse.

Results
By the end of the project, the adolescents’ knowledge of SRHR and their access to SRHR information had significantly increased.  The adolescents had also become more assertive and able to claim their sexual and reproductive rights. Lastly, there was a noticeable change in the teachers’ attitudes towards adolescents’ SRHR. At first the pupils were believed to not be sexually active and therefore not in need of SRHR services. After the project ended, the teachers had a more positive attitude towards the adolescents’ needs and believed that young people can protect their own sexual and reproductive rights if adequately empowered.

Year: 2016